The Threads of Fate
by Subservient Dreamer
Summary: Part three: Kagome and Inuyasha. Threeparter revolving around the relationship of Kikyou, Kagome, and Inuyasha. 'Always the same, the nightmares were. Taunting him, haunting him, not letting him forget about...her.' KagomeXInuyasha.
1. Kikyou in limbo

**Author's notes (optional reading): **Honestly, I haven't watched Inuyasha for, well, about forever. I think I stopped with his father's enemy or something. I don't know. But I just really felt as if I wanted to write something and for some reason a line Kikyou had said in a past episode popped into my head (hence the title). The whole fic itself is a short three, possibly four-parter and is relatively pointless. Kikyou haters are NOT welcomed here, but that doesn't mean this will be Inuyasha/Kikyou, no matter what it looks like. But I just kindly ask no flaming of characters is done in my review box. Or else. Also, this is sort of the first fanfiction I've put up for feedback so if you feel I have deeply offended you with my horrendous writing "skills"; please try to keep it at constructive criticism and not senseless name-calling. Anyway, enjoy; hopefully.

**Disclaimer: **I am not Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore do not own Inuyasha. Simple concept, ne?

"_**The Threads of Fate"**_

**Chapter I: Kikyou in limbo**

A small iridescent sphere of light hung suspended in midair, emitting a soft, almost sad glow around it. The bleak nothingness suffocating it slowly retracted as a vivid scene, perhaps a memory, was played against the oblivion...

* * *

"_Kikyou! Kikyou, wait!" Tucking a wayward strand of raven hair behind her ear, the woman slightly turned her head. A bored look was set upon her face, effectively masking the turbulence of emotions she felt boiling inside. _

_The half-demon made a swift leap towards the woman, bare clawed feet landing firmly on the wet grass. His stormy amber gaze considered her hesitantly before his lips parted to speak._

"_I still love you." _

_Inuyasha inwardly winced. That wasn't what he had meant to say. Something unidentifiable flashed in Kikyou's dark chocolate eyes. Inuyasha stood there, vulnerable; waiting for her response._

_Nothing came._

"_Why won't you say anything to me? Is there no emotion left in you? No feelings at all? Please, say something, anything!" His shouted words became almost frenetic as her eyes slid closed._

"_Inuyasha." Her melancholic voice resounded out, as if she were testing his name. It carried on the faint breeze and melted, sending a shiver down the half-demon's spine. _

_Kikyou's eyes suddenly shot open and Inuyasha unconsciously recoiled from the piercing intensity they held. She turned to fully face him, casually setting her bow and arrow to the ground. _

"_What is it you wish of me? Do you desire I forget everything? The pain? The hurt? The aching twinge I get when I look upon your sweet face?" Inuyasha looked confused. A weary sigh left Kikyou's lips. "I can't."_

"_I am not **real **Inuyasha. I am merely a shadow of my former self. Surely you must realize this?" Soft, silver strands flew in the wind as Inuyasha wildly shook his head. "I don't care! You're still you! I can feel it! I know it! Why do you keep running away? Why can't we go back to what we had?"_

_He took one step forward as she took one step back. "When the threads of fate are tangled, Inuyasha, they cannot be undone." She gave him one last thoughtful look before picking up her equipment and turning away again._

_Inuyasha, however, still was not done. With an angry grunt, he leapt in front of the clay woman, barring her path. "You say you still feel the hurt and pain. But you know I didn't hurt you! I wouldn't ever have done that Kikyou! I loved you and I still do!"_

_An ironic laugh filled the forest. "You seem to forget your heart, Inuyasha." Confusion sparked in his golden gaze. Kikyou swallowed the lump in her throat as she fought to speak the words they both knew needed to be said._

"_The love you feel for me is simply an after effect of your awakening, much like the bitterness in me. I can't get rid of it; it has become a part of me. It prevents me from loving you back, even if the feeling may still be there. Yours however isn't as strong. You're holding onto it because you're afraid." He opened his mouth to speak, but a fleeting wave of her hand cut him off._

"_There is someone else you feel for, don't deny it. That girl, Kagome. I see it in your eyes when you watch her sleep. You used to watch me like that, did you not?" Silence met her. She let out a small chuckle. _

_Kikyou began walking her long, purposeful strides. Inuyasha's head was cast down, silver bangs creating shadows about his face. She stopped when she stood next to him. Without turning, she said her final piece._

"_Farewell, Inuyasha. I hope that when we meet again, you will have figured out your heart." With that, she strode away, missing the single crystal tear he shed for a lost love. _

* * *

The memory faded as the ball of light began to take shape. A woman now floated where the sphere once had. A waterfall of silken raven strands cascaded down her back and deep chocolate eyes gazed around with interest.

A sigh floated past her porcelain lips. Huddling her knees to her body, she tried making a connection. The connection that would free her from her dreary imprisonment...

**To be continued...**

Confused? Yes, no, maybe? Well if you are, don't worry. It'll get clearer next chapter. Uh, hopefully. Constructive criticism is always welcome...but NOT character flaming. So, drop a line if this was of any interest to you so far.


	2. Kagome and Kikyou

**Author's notes (optional reading): **Okay, no reviews so far. Either my writing is worse than I thought, or the prospect of a fic that's pro Kagome/Inuyasha yet void of Kikyou bashing is too hard for most to comprehend. Ah well, I'm having fun with this fic so I shall continue it...would be nice to get at least one reader, though... Mutters to herself inaudibly

Oh, right. If I get any relatively positive feedback, I may make this into an actual fic instead of just a three-part piece.

**Also, **I don't tend to use romaji (the English spelling of Japanese words) for it is rather trying for someone who is not learning Japanese to decipher their meaning, whether the author has a glossary or not. Actually, it's freakin' annoying. However, I will use the word _miko _instead of priestess...just because. If I use any other Japanese word by mistake, feel free to yell at me/whatever punishment you feel fit to choose.

**Disclaimer **is in previous chapter.

"_**The Threads of Fate"**_

**Chapter II: Kagome and Kikyou**

Raven tresses flew as the girl shot out of bed. Bleary chocolate orbs scanned the musky darkness, searching for the intruder.

Kagome's dark brows furrowed. She saw nothing. Tiptoeing to her window, she sought out the source of power that had gently, almost hesitantly brushed against her own.

Nothing again.

"It feels different..." Her curious whisper filled the eerily-quiet room. _Inuyasha..._

She blushed, but that quickly receded. Even after all this time, she still thought about him. Especially whenever there was a sense of danger. But no, that wasn't right. She didn't feel a threat, or a demon. Then why did her miko powers suddenly flare so?

Nervously tugging on the sleeve of her pink cotton pajamas, she sat on her bed and closed her eyes. Kaede had been trying to teach her how to control her powers before the "incident" with Naraku. Now she called upon as much of that teaching as she could.

Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, she placed her hands out, palms forward, and stilled. A light pink glow warmed the shadowy room. Her power began to expand, spiraling, spinning.

Naught a glimmer of response.

A small frustrated whine left her lips, but she tried harder. Creasing her brows, she focused all her energy into one coalescent sphere and pushed with all her might.

The pure power filled her very core, and as it slowly drained from her body out into the world, it took her along with it. Kagome let the calm currents sweep her away as she waited to find the probing power that awoke her from her sweet slumber...

Kagome suddenly found herself engulfed by a suffocating blackness. Everywhere she went; there was nothing, nothing...until...

_There! _She felt it! A power, much like her own, quickly reached out towards her. Kagome, still riding the soft, rolling wave of her miko power, reached out in response. The two entities met in a great, blinding flash of rose light...

* * *

Serene autumn met startled honey brown as Kagome and Kikyou stood face to face in the darkness. They both considered each other for a long moment before Kagome broke the tense silence.

"So you were the one trying to reach me?" Kikyou, still dressed in the garbs of a miko, simply nodded her head.

Kagome was completely dumbfounded...and a little wary. She grimaced as a fragment of the memory she had tried so hard to suppress came back.

_**Flashback**_

All around her was death. The sounds of the whizzing arrows, clashing swords, and screams of many filled her ears; filled her mind. She couldn't take it anymore.

With a fierce, determined look in her eyes, Kagome picked herself off the ground. Her attacker had left; presumed her dead. An unusual smirk graced Kagome's face. Her attacker thought wrong.

Bow and arrow ready in hand, she hunted the slimy, putrescent green demon covered in the pungent pus that stuck to her body and covered her school uniform.

He wasn't hard to spot; the sluggish demon had barely made it ten feet away. A sizzling anger filled her, and before she knew it, her power began to violently surge. A hot pink glow enshrouded her as she slowly, gracefully raised the bow and arrow. Notching an arrow, an almost haughty grunt left her lips as the bow quivered.

_One...two...three!_

Her fingers let it fly.

The arrow struck the demon perfectly through the heart, a large aura of pink power exploding in its radius, obliterating a good hundred demons nearby for good measure.

After that burst of power, something clicked inside of the teenager. Her honey eyes glazed over and her limbs seemed to move of their own accord.

Kagome was cloaked by her miko powers as she slowly made her way towards the front of the fray; where Kikyou, with the Shikon no Tama, and Naraku were skirmishing. Whenever a demon even scratched the surface of the dome-like orb surrounding her, they were quickly disintegrated. Soon, there was no demon left besides their allies and the slimy Naraku himself.

Inuyasha and the others turned in confusion when the demons they were fighting suddenly erupted in a brilliant flash of pink light.

Mouths agape and eyes wide in fear and fright, they ran up to their friend covered in the beautiful, but deadly aura. They screamed and they shouted, but it made little difference.

Kagome was locked inside herself.

All her vacant eyes saw was energy. And the way the energy was recognized was simple: Human good, demon bad.

She was unaware of the frightened, squeaking voice coming towards her. "Kagome! Kagome, what are you doing?" Shippou, greatly concerned for the woman he saw as a motherly figure, wrestled out of the firm grip Inuyasha held him back with.

The little fox demon scampered through the mud and leapt to her shoulder.

"Shippou, no!" Miroku had just enough time to grab the boy as Shippou's hand touched the surface of the orb's power. He let out a yelp as his hand sizzled, burned by the pure power that didn't recognize him as a friend, but a threat.

Her friends stood back, worry gleaming in their already tired gazes.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha's poignant whisper carried on the fierce wind, brushing uselessly past her unhearing ears.

She had made it. One immense sphere of wretched black power blocked her, seeped unwelcome into her senses like a noxious mist. Before it, however, was a great ball of pure power, slightly tainted by its holder.

Kikyou.

She was using Shikon no Tama, trying as hard as she could to destroy this foul demon.

Kagome called the jewel to her outstretched hands.

As like attracts like, the jewel recognized the pure force calling to it and followed.

Kikyou gasped in horror as the Shikon no Tama disappeared from her grasp. She turned as a great miko power hissed and crackled angrily behind her. Kagome stood surrounded by her sizzling pure power, Shikon no Tama floating above her open palms.

A small, sad smile crawled onto the woman's face as a quiet, bitter laugh escaped her pale lips. She had thought she could destroy Naraku using the jewel, but it seems she wasn't even strong enough to accomplish that. Gazing up into the wild, twinkling night sky, she realized tonight was her time to die...and she welcomed it.

A dark, hideous cackle dripping malice echoed throughout the forest. "You honestly think _you _have a better chance of harnessing the jewel's power than Kikyou? You must be more foolish than I thought, human!" Naraku continued his roaring laughter until Kagome brought her hands in, focusing her power, seeing, hearing, knowing nothing other than the dark force she knew she must eliminate.

Everyone watched, entranced, as a large sphere of shimmering light formed around Kagome and the jewel.

The covered their eyes as the flickering light became much too bright, yet Inuyasha still managed to catch a glimpse of Kikyou standing in front of Naraku, unmoving. "Kikyou, watch out!" His roar was swallowed by the hissing and crackling of the pure orb that quickly made its way towards Naraku and Kikyou.

She was smiling.

Tear drops slid down her face as Naraku bellowed and their bodies were swallowed by the force of the power.

A brilliant flash! And then...nothing.

Kagome crumpled to the ground, tears cascading down her face in a crystal waterfall. Inuyasha, still shocked by what had just transpired, was snapped out of his reverie when she unleashed an agonizing wail. The half demon quickly sprinted to her side, taking her face in both claws.

Inuyasha felt his heart wrench at the distressed look on her face, chocolate-honey eyes brimming with the sparkling tears that ran down her wet cheeks. She whispered one barely audible thing before passing out in his waiting arms.

"What have I done? I killed...K-Kikyou..."

_**End flashback**_

* * *

Kagome didn't realize she had begun crying until a warm, friendly hand gently wiped away some of the tears.

She looked up to see Kikyou smiling warmly down at her. Her brows creased deeply in puzzlement. _She's...smiling at me?!_

"I wanted to thank you." Kikyou's voice still held the beautiful, deep lilting tone it always carried, but it seemed much more bright and cheerful now.

Kagome shook her head. "You wanted to _thank _me? I...I killed you!" This didn't make any sense to her. Why was Kikyou so nice suddenly?

"Kagome..." Deep and full of emotion, her voice floated past Kagome's ears, making her want to start crying all over again. "You didn't kill me; you liberated me. You _freed _me. I had no desire to live again; every day was a living hell for me."

Kagome watched the woman before her carefully. She looked so much happier. Was this how Kikyou was before? Before Naraku had pulled his malevolent trickery? She was so full of life, so graceful...no wonder Inuyasha loved her. "So you contacted me to thank me..." Kikyou nodded her head.

Kagome licked her lips. There was a question that had been nagging her since that day...

"When you...died, I felt as if there was something missing from me. Why?" Both their gazes met again. Kikyou inhaled deeply. "You are not whole, Kagome. Neither am I. We are sharing the same soul. Before, I was still alive, therefore you felt the connection. But now..." Kagome nodded her head.

A silent gasp escaped from her lips as it hit her. Gratitude wasn't the only reason Kikyou had called her here; she was offering the rest of her soul as well. But if Kikyou gave it up...

"I can't accept it!" Kikyou let out a weary sigh as she placed a tender hand on the girl she had barely met, yet felt she knew so well. "I have to. It's not my time to live, it's yours." One more tear trickled down the side of Kagome's face.

"But Inuyasha..."

"What about him?"

"He loves you..."

To her surprise, Kikyou laughed. It was a pretty sound that somehow reminded her of the deep orange and red colors of autumn leaves. "He loves you, Kagome...has he not said anything to you?" Kikyou looked down upon Kagome with interest as she shook her head. Yet another sigh left Kikyou. "That fool...I told him..."

"What did you do after Naraku was defeated, Kagome?" Kagome nervously tugged at her sleeves again. "I...left. I couldn't face Inuyasha after I killed his only love...and I took the jewel with me." A pang hit Kikyou as she looked at Kagome's face. Did the girl really think so lowly of herself?

"Go to him, Kagome...I have no doubt that he misses you." With that, Kikyou stepped forward, placing her palms on either of Kagome's shoulders. She gasped as something warm filled her, something she had been waiting for since the day Kikyou had been re-awakened.

And then it was over. Kagome found herself sitting back on her bed, the moon's pale light shining through the fluttering curtains. She found herself walking to the window, her gaze traveling to the well...

Casting a glance to her desk where the Shikon no Tama lay glittering, she nodded her head.

After one year, she was finally going back to feudal Japan.

_**To be continued...**_

Blech, this didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Oh well, I'm just glad for it to get out. If you have any comments, please feel free to leave a review...


	3. Kagome and Inuyasha

Wow, last chapter already? Bah, so what if I didn't get many reviews. Not like I'm gonna cry or anything…(sniffle)

Any who, here's the much-awaited conclusion to "The Threads of Fate"! Yes, it is much awaited, and no, I am not delusional. (coughs) This chapter isn't really anything besides fluff…I'm in my fruitcake mood right now. Mmmm, fruitcake….Oh, and I couldn't help myself. There's just a bit of Sango/Miroku in there.

**Disclaimer **is in chapter one.

Oh! I want to give a HUGE thanks to my only reader, **AnimeGirl622**!!!! In fact, without her friendly review, I might not have continued this at all. Thank you again!!!!! (dabs her eyes on a handkerchief)

"_**The Threads of Fate"**_

**Chapter 3: Kagome and Inuyasha**

Kagome's soft raven strands flew about her calm face in the light breeze as she gazed at the God tree; watching the golden morning sun filter through its blossoming canopy. An easy sigh escaped her. She always found the massive tree a source of strength for her, looming over as if it were a gentle, silent protector.

Her head turned to the sound of quiet, hesitant footsteps on the concrete. Her family stood about her with supportive smiles; mother with glistening, tear filled eyes that were reminiscent to the younger girl's. She was so proud of her daughter.

Kagome's lips turned in a warm smile as she trotted over to them, giving each a goodbye hug. Souta, who was a bit scared for her sister, put on a brave front and did the typical teasing any little brother should do.

"Here, sis! I thought that since you're such a klutz, these would come in handy!" With an impish grin, he produced the extra-thick gauze previously hidden behind his back and shoved them in his sister's face. Her brow twitched in annoyance as she accepted them, but she decided to bite her tongue. Her little brother only meant well.

Saying the last of her goodbyes, she shouldered her bag and picked up her bike, and stepped through the doors. Timid eyes gazed through the musky darkness as fear began to knot itself in her belly. Could she go through with this after a whole year? Was Kikyou even telling the truth? For all she knew, this was just a cruel trick the other woman played for retribution.

Her head recognized the possibility, but her heart didn't obey. It nervously fluttered in her chest like butterfly wings as she tried futilely to fight the scarlet blush painting her cheeks. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head. No, she _had _to go through with this. There was a possibility Inuyasha didn't hate her…and maybe even shared some sort of the same feelings with her.

Taking in a deep breath, she dropped her bike as gently as she could to the bottom of the well, herself following soon after. The Shikon no Tama hanging around her neck emitted a bright pink glow, engulfing the darkness about it. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she went through the transition between times, shuddering as the electrical currents of power passed her skin.

And then all she felt was the warmth of the morning summer breeze brushing against her skin and the rich soil beneath her knees. A smile bloomed on her face as Kagome stood up, brushing off the dirt that stuck to her legs. "I'm back…" She breathed, reveling in the way the simplicity of the words made her feel. The feeling didn't stay long, however.

A figure swiftly moved before her. Kagome blinked and soon, all she saw was blackness.

* * *

The hanyou's nose twitched like a rabbit's as the playful blades of dewy grass tickled his feet. Mumbling and rolling over with a bit of drool running down the side of his mouth, he instinctively grabbed the nearest thing close to him and squeezed it in an unforgiving "cuddle". Unfortunately for Shippou, _he _was the closest thing to Inuyasha. 

The small fox tried fruitlessly to wiggle his way out of the elder's grasp, his squeaks of protest floating on the morning breeze to the ears of Sango and Miroku.

"Shouldn't we try and help him…?" The monk turned to the female demon hunter who sat cross-legged, a bowl of rice held carefully in her hands. Closing her eyes, she merely took a bite and shrugged. Miroku smiled at the girl, a rare ingenuous smile that only Sango had received. Now if only he could muster up the courage to do that when she was looking…

Feeling as if she was being watched, the demon hunter opened one warm honey eye carefully, a warm blush quickly spreading on her cheeks as she caught the look the monk gave her. The moment was quickly forgotten, unfortunately.

"What the hell d'ya think you're doing, you little twerp!?" The loud, annoyed shout was followed by countless apologies from the young fox demon as a red and orange blur whizzed past the humans. Miroku sighed and lay on his back, watching the lazy cotton candy clouds float by. "Looks like it's going to be another fine day." He simply stated, Sango nodding her agreement with a dry smile.

* * *

With a growl, Inuyasha skidded to a halt, narrowed golden eyes surveying his surroundings intently. Then he let out his breath with a "whoosh". Settling himself in the nearest tree, he made himself comfortable before a bitter laugh escaped him. Ironic that it was the God tree he always went to. Vaguely, he remembered he was supposed to have been chasing down Shippou. Ah well. It wasn't really worth it to exert that much energy chasing after the little bugger. Besides, he wasn't in a playful-esque mood anyway. He really hadn't been in one ever since…that day….when the nightmares began. 

Always the same, the nightmares were. Taunting him, haunting him, not letting him forget about…her. It always began with the worried gazes of his friends cast upon him as he cradled Kagome's limp body away from the charred battle site back to Kaede's village. Then that seemingly melted into Kagome's face; tired, pale, and damp with sweat. When he awoke, he could always still feel the softness of her hair from when he gently raised a claw to brush back the bangs that stuck to her forehead. The last one, and the one that tormented him most; the image of the empty cabin he entered in the morning.

Inuyasha shook his head furiously. Why must he do this to himself? She's gone; she obviously didn't want to stay for them…for…him. A hot liquid formed in the corner of his glistening golden eyes. Dropping his head down to his chest, Inuyasha let the salty wetness flow down his cheeks as the sleeping faeries gently took him away.

* * *

A scent wafted past his nose in the brisk evening air causing his eyes to snap open. _It couldn't be…_

The scent was that of what Kagome had called "soap" mingled with that of her own unique scent of wildflowers that reminded him of a crisp spring day after the rains. His fluffy white ears swiveled about as his heart began beating rapidly in his chest. _Kagome…are you really back?_

Immediately, the hopeful look that had sprung onto his face vanished and was replaced with a bitter, ironic half-smile. With a "feh", he began walking back towards Kaede's village. Kagome wasn't back. His mind was playing tricks on him, was all.

His walking slowed until it fully stopped. But…what if? If there's a chance, even if it's the smallest chance in the world, is he just going to toss it away? He turned, the night's gales whipping his silver strands around his wondering face, amber orbs glittering eerily in the twilight.

He'd just take a peek, he told himself. A quick look around the well, and if there was nothing, he'd go back to the hut and not speak a word of this to anyone; lest they think he was going crazy.

And so the hanyou made his way to the bone eater's well.

* * *

A fuzzy darkness surrounded the edges of Kagome's vision as bleary honey eyes slowly opened. A chill crawled on her skin, and not just from the night's cold, either. She wasn't positive, but there had to have been around five or so nasty-looking creatures snickering and throwing gleeful sneers her way. They looked almost like mutated humans rather than demons. 

Groggy, she raised her hands to rub at her eyes only to find…she couldn't. Panic quickly filled her. Her eyes darted down to the ground where two stakes where planted, ropes tightly binding her hands to them. Her feet were free, but what good would they do? She doubted even the smallest demon would go down even if she put all her power into one kick.

Her terror-driven mind worked frantically to think of ways to escape, each idea shot down quicker than the first. She was too weak to use her miko powers, but they hadn't found the jewel thankfully. She let a noise halfway between a sob and whimper escape her, head resting against the tree they leaned her against.

Was this…the end? Did she come back to feudal Japan only to be captured by some half-wit demons and _die? _Well, if that was to be so, there was only one thing left to do.

Kagome breathed in deeply…and screamed.

"_**Inuyasha!"**_

* * *

Inuyasha's hand gently traced the jagged edges of the well. He saw no footprints, but the scent of her slightly lingered. His glowing eyes squinted as a glint in the well caught his gaze. Jumping down, something wonderful filled him at the sight that met him: Kagome's bike. 

That meant she was here, right? But then…_where_ was she? The bright and warm elated feeling that filled him earlier was squashed, driven away as fear and anxiety overtook him, seeped in unwelcome.

Goosebumps quickly spread upon his soft flesh as he raised his face to the angry night sky filled with stormy clouds that matched those sparking in his glittering, golden eyes. The cool air currents passed by his nose until something soft and sweet interspersed with the clean smell of the night's wind, making Inuyasha's ears swivel and his claws twitch.

It was Kagome. He could smell her. His eyes immediately narrowed. That wasn't all he smelt. There was the sickening, putrid smell of demons that mixed with her sweet fear-spiked scent and it made Inuyasha's teeth bare as a deep, guttural growl rose from his throat. Clutching tetsusaiga at his side, he shifted all his weight to his toes and propelled himself, a red blur dashing through the thick trees, acquiring scratches here and there but not heeding them in the least bit. His mind was wholly focused on saving Kagome – as long as this _wasn't _a dream.

* * *

Her face was set coolly into a defiant stare, calm but completely betraying the turbulence of fright she felt swarming like a tornado inside. The figures stood over her; looming, red opal eyes glinting at the prospect of a delicious meal such as the girl below them. 

A whirlwind of dirt and dust collided into the dark mass of evil that stood over the girl, their screams creating a melody of death and fright along with the sound of cold steel cutting into tough flesh.

As the dark figures fell before her, the sight of her savior, or her "knight in shining armor" came into view. His silver mane billowed behind him like a cape, golden eyes alight with anger and satisfaction at the slaying of the monsters, his own gaze fell upon her.

Sweet honey met fiery amber. Seconds, minutes, hours. One could not tell how long the two's eyes were locked. Though it seemed impossible, all that was ever needed to be said between the two was said with just that simple, enigmatic look and Inuyasha ran to untie Kagome.

Crystal drops ran in tiny waterfalls down her cheeks, little pearls of happiness as she immediately wrapped her shaking arms about him as soon as she was free. Inuyasha did the same, savoring the warmth pressed tightly against him, the silkiness of her hair pooling between his fingers, and the sweet, calming scent floating past his nose.

They remained locked in each others embrace until the soft, pearly light of dawn begun to paint across the sky. Finally parting, Kagome reared back and rested her tired gaze on his welcome face.

"Inuyasha…" Her emotional whisper resounded out before a contended smile bloomed on her face, eyes slowly sliding closed. He couldn't help but smile himself as he picked her up, cradling her like a most delicate thing and began walking back to Kaede's village.

An image of himself carrying a limp and pale Kagome flashed briefly through his mind, but was quickly replaced with the sweet smile she graced him with not moments ago. This time, he knew, she would stay for good. She would stay…for him.

_**The end**_

Well? Ending…good, or bad? I do so hope any that read enjoyed this (and if you've read it but not yet reviewed…shame on you! Actually, not really. I can't force you to tell me your thoughts).


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